Heart Upon My Sleeve
by tillydeme
Summary: Jocelyn Davies is the Accessories Editor at Runway. But how did she get her start working for the famous magazine and what exactly is the deal between her and Miranda Priestly? A multi-chapter story. Full summary inside. Rated T for safety.
1. Time is Not of the Essence

_A/N: Hi everyone, so this is my first fan-fiction in a very long time and it's my very first devil Wears Prada story. I am the kind of person who likes to look at the background characters of a story instead of the main characters and work out what their deal is, so that's what I have done. This story will focus on Jocelyn. Since not much is revealed about her in the book or the movie I have obviously taken some creative liberty. I know she works with accessories and from that and the fact she is obviously fairly important since she is seen in the important moments, ie photo shoot, editors meeting etc I figured there was a high chance she is the Senior Accessories Editor which would make sense. I like to flesh characters out so this is a look into how she came to work at Runway and her relationships with Miranda and other employees. So I hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think!_

* * *

 **1- Time is Not of the Essence**

Jocelyn Davies ran as fast as her four inch heels would allow her to across the slippery polished tiles of the Elias-Clarke buildings foyer. She really didn't make it a habit to be this ruffled but today did not seem to be her day. Her mind quickly thought back to her disastrous start to the day.

 _Jocelyn awoke to the sound of her phone ringing obnoxiously through her bedroom, bright sun streaming in through her windows. She glanced to her side towards the bed side table reaching for her phone before realising it wasn't there.  
_

 _Jocelyn's stomach dropped and she scrambled out of her bed to make a grab for her phone which was instead up on her dresser. But that also refused to go to plan as she became tangled in her sheets and fell flat to the floor and let out a painful groan as her wrist cracked._

 _Looking up towards her chest of drawers where her phone sat currently out of reach she managed to untangle her legs from the confines of her sheets and finally stood up, though her wrist was still throbbing._

 _Finally making it to her phone once it stopped ringing she checked the time. 06:00. Blinking her eyes wearily she then spotted the missed call, 'Nigel.' Jocelyn grimaced, a call from Nigel at this time of the morning never meant anything good. But then she did a double take, her alarm generally went off at five am, yet it hadn't, she groaned and noticed her alarm clock flashing, the power had gone out at some point obviously._

 _She was just about to call Nigel back when her phone started ringing again, his name popped up on the screen again as she answered it immediately._

 _"What's going on?" She questioned concerned._

"She killed the Autumn jackets and pulled up the Sedono shoot, you need to get here now."

 _"Shit." She said into the phone even though she knew Nigel had already hung up._

 _Letting out a small shriek at how behind she now was she quickly began rummaging through her cupboard trying to find an outfit._

 _Letting slip a few swear words as her now swelling wrist made contact with her cupboard door she stood hopelessly in the middle of her room, she considered calling in sick but knew that that was definite no go, she would not have a job by the end of the day if she followed through with that idea._

 _Her rush to get ready began again as she slipped on a tanned chiffon blouse and a knee length black pencil skirt. Wrapping a waist belt around her midsection she grabbed a black cardigan and a pair of knee high black boots._

 _One thing she did have going for her her this morning was her hair. Naturally wild and unruly her red tresses were her favourite feature, and thanks to her nightly routine they were always manageable in the mornings otherwise she would have to add another hour to her morning routine._

 _That was one less thing had to worry about._

 _Grabbing her handbag she ducked out of her apartment towards the street to call a cab. She'd do her makeup on the way, it wouldn't take that long._

Jocelyn let out a relieved sigh as she slipped into an elevator in the lobby. The rest of the trip had gone fairly smoothly, minus the part where she had managed to successfully poke herself in the eye with her mascara wand when the taxi hit a pothole.

Tapping her foot impatiently as she watched the numbers of the passing floors flash before her she closed her eyes and composed herself. It had taken her all of 30 minutes to get ready and get to work, all things considered she was proud that she was here as quick as she was. But she was desperately craving a coffee.

Finally the elevator hit the floor for her office and she sighed in relief as she stepped off the elevator, and straight into Nigel, who happened to be carrying two coffee's which then proceeded to cover the entire front of her outfit.

Her blue eyes started to water as she stared helplessly at Nigel who was slightly taken back. She knew he'd been ready to make a smart comment but the look in her eyes stopped him.

"Oh Jossy, let's go get you cleaned up sweetie, Miranda's already left a message for you this morning." Runways Art-Director, and one of her closest friends, Nigel Kippling, said to the flustered Accessories Editor.

Jocelyn groaned, "Why me Nigel?" She moaned examining the damage to her outfit.

Nigel chuckled, "Because sweetie she couldn't do her job without you, or me for that matter, which means she needs to know where we are and what we are doing at all times." He said with a hint of amusement in his voice which earned him an exaggerated eye roll from the red head.

Nigel spun Jocelyn to face the other direction towards the fashion department where they could throw together a new outfit for her before her meetings started. She hissed in pain when he grabbed her wrist.

Nigel looked at the woman in confusion. Jocelyn sighed and held up the injured joint and Nigel grimaced.

"What did you do?" He asked concerned as he inspected her swollen wrist closer.

Jocelyn frowned, "Fell out of bed." She said flatly.

Nigel bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, he could tell she was actually in pain, and he didn't blame her, he was pretty certain she had at least twisted it. "Okay, listen to me. We are going to get you a new outfit, then we will see Miranda, and then we are getting you to a Doctor before the shoot okay? We can't have you crippled." He stated trying to make her laugh.

He was only rewarded with a nervous smile.

Nigel sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders instead, "It will be fine. We will both survive this day, Lucia is already in the wardrobe, she's putting the pieces together as we speak, she's got everything under control, there's nothing to worry about." He said reassuringly referring to Lucia Martin, the Fashion Editor of Runway and Jocelyn's best friend.

Jocelyn nodded thankfully "Okay, but the Autumn jackets, really?" She muttered.

Nigel chuckled, "You know how she is." He said with a knowing smirk.

Jocelyn rolled her eyes, "Please let us survive today." She mumbled.

* * *

So there we go. This story already has quite a few chapters written. They aren't in chronological order either. In fact this entire chapter was written after the majority of the rest of the story. There will be flashbacks to certain years and appearances by various characters. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think!


	2. Heard it Through the Grapevine

_A/N First of I'd like to say thank you to those who reviewed, I didn't realise I hadn't allowed anonymous reviews so I changed that. I wasn't sure how active this fandom still was so it's nice to see people still have an interest. So far I plan for for 25 chapters. I've written 15 of them but am fleshing them out a bit more. I have outlined all 25 though. I wanted to post this next chapter to get the ball rolling but won't be updating every day. Some of the scenes are from the movie and other's are just fill ins. So without further ado this is chapter 2. Now as previously stated these aren't in chronological order but they will all blend together. This chapter does take place after the previous one though._

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 **2- Heard it on the Grapevine**

Miranda curiously watched her newest assistant, Andrea Sachs, scurry through the office, it was almost exhausting.

Things had been hectic lately and everyone was on edge, the girl was in the deep end and it amused Miranda. She wasn't born as Editor-in-Chief, she had had to work her way up as well. Her first assistant, Emily Charlton, was more poised and in control, and had been almost from the get go, but Miranda secretly longed for the days when she had Jocelyn at her side.

Jocelyn Davies had been involved with Runway for fifteen years now in one way or another and it showed. The bright and bubbly young woman had steadily climbed the fashion ranks over the years.

Jocelyn had been Miranda's _first_ First Assistant when she had become Editor-in-Chief. After her stint at Miranda's side and showing exactly how much talent she had for this line of work she went to work within the makeup department before proceeding to a small stint in fashion before finding her passion and moving into accessories. As her experience grew she was promoted to Accessories Editor, a role Miranda had also once held.

Miranda still worked with Jocelyn closely as their respective jobs required but she didn't spend as much time with the woman outside of work as she wanted to.

These past few months had been stressful, she knew of the shake up and was focused on lining up her ducks in a row. But she always held a special place for the young woman, even if she was tough on her.

Miranda was pulled from her thoughts as she heard Andrea's voice waft through the room.

In front of Andrea's desk stood none other then Jocelyn.

Andy felt a presence hovering in front of her desk, glancing up she was startled by the familiar looking woman.

 _"Hi, I don't know if we have formally met, my name is Jocelyn, I am the Accessories Editor, is Miranda free?"_ Jocelyn asked the young woman who seemed to be panicking.

Miranda had to stop herself from laughing at the look on Andrea's face as she looked for non existent help since Emily had disappeared.

 _"Uh, um, I think so, I just don't know if..."_ Andy trailed off flustered.

Miranda could tell from the way Jocelyn was standing that she was also amused. She decided to put the girl out of her misery, plus if Jocelyn had come here to see her instead of calling her it was more then likely important.

"Jocelyn." She said, it sounded impersonal but she did have a reputation to maintain.

Miranda saw Andrea relax and watched as Jocelyn walked into the office with a slight smirk on her face which turned into a full blown grin when she was finally in the office.

Jocelyn shut the door behind her and Miranda offered her the seat in front of her motioning for her to sit.

Jocelyn relaxed into the chair and looked at Miranda, somewhat nervously. "I didn't mean to barge in here unexpectedly." She muttered.

Miranda rolled her eyes though and stared at Jocelyn. "Yes you did." She smirked and Jocelyn grimaced. "What's the matter?" She asked wondering what had the young woman in distress.

Jocelyn rubbed her head, "Look, it seems two of my assistants got drunk last night and have been arrested and then locked up, we are down staff for the shoot today. I was wondering if you could recommend someone or something to help out, I needed full staff today and am unable to find anyone capable enough. Serena has been a life saver, she's helping with the accessories, but Nigel, Lucia and all the others have their own problems to deal with, but I really do need another person, can you spare an assistant for the shoot this afternoon? You know I wouldn't come to you personally if I hadn't already tried all the other options." She said anxiously.

Miranda frowned, it looked like she'd be filling two jobs in the coming days, they didn't need this shit. Sadly it was one of the downfalls of this industry, young pretty women who loved getting dressed up and drinking away the nights without any consideration towards being able to sustain their careers, instead thinking life was one big party.

Miranda glanced at her schedule, "I know it's not ideal, but I'm free this afternoon and was thinking of coming down to the shoot anyway. I'll bring Emily and Andrea along, Emily could be helpful." She said giving Jocelyn a reassuring smile.

Jocelyn gave a thankful smile, "Thank you Miranda, that would be amazing, I'll leave the details with Emily in an email. I do appreciate it." She said as she stood up smoothing down her skirt.

Miranda smiled, "That's fine Jocelyn, really." Miranda would be lying if she said she hadn't noticed Jocelyn being a little more distant lately then she usually was, so she decided to see what was going on. She had known the woman for years and despite the way she would sometimes treat her she really was one of her most trusted and respected employees, not to mention their friendship which had spanned over fifteen years.

"Actually Jocelyn, before you go, the girls asked me if you could come over for dinner tonight, they said they miss you." She asked referring to Caroline and Cassidy, her precocious ten year old twins.

Miranda watched as Jocelyn briefly froze up before it melted away leaving the blank look she had been sporting recently.

Jocelyn smiled a small smile, "Yeah, that sounds nice, I don't want to disappoint them, tell them I'll be there." She said quietly.

Miranda smiled, well that was one point to her. "Wonderful, they'll be delighted." She said remembering how just this morning she had overheard them discussing Jocelyn and that it was her birthday in a week and the twins had wanted to surprise her.

Jocelyn smiled, "That's alright, I really must get going though, the accessories department seems to be falling to pieces, plus I'm going to advertise for new jobs." She said rolling her eyes.

Miranda nodded in agreement, "I think that's an intelligent idea, I'll see you this afternoon."

Jocelyn smiled, "Certainly, bye Miranda."

Miranda smiled, "Bye Jocelyn."

From her place behind the desk Andrea watched the interaction between her boss and the accessories editor.

She hadn't been here that long and was still working out the hierarchy, but from what she was able to work out, the red head woman, Jocelyn, was not to far below Miranda in terms of hierarchy, and was roughly on a similar level to Nigel. What got her though was that in this brief exchange she was witnessing she sensed that the two of them seemed closer then anyone else Miranda interacted with, including Nigel. Andy had never seen anyone else ever close the door to Miranda's office before. It was small, but significant. It had her interest piqued.

Emily returned shortly after and snapped her fingers in front of Andy.

"Andrea, what on earth are you staring at?" She asked perplexed, there was work to be done.

Andrea shifted, "Sorry, I was just watching their conversation." She said not realising how creepy she had just sounded, "They just seem to have an interesting dynamic, Miranda called her in by name instead of waiting for me to make the call, and then she closed the door." She finished still perplexed.

Emily rolled her eyes but also quickly stole a glance into Miranda's office.

Andy continued, "What's with the two of them? I haven't actually met Jocelyn before, except for that brief moment with the belts before the Sodono shoot, but even then Miranda didn't bite her head off for not being prepared. She just kind of sounded unimpressed." She mumbled trying to work out the connection.

Emily sat down at her won desk at glanced at Andy. "Honestly, that's a big mystery, there's rumours of course, but you never know what's true. Jocelyn has been here for years, and I mean years. I don't know her exact history but I'm pretty sure she was here before Miranda became Editor-in-Chief, so that could have something to do with it. Though I honestly am as in the dark as everyone else. Nigel is probably the only one who knows the real history and he would never spill. So I don't tend to think about it. Jocelyn can act a bit air-headed at times but she is scarily smart and clued on, she just likes having people underestimate her, I've heard the stories from the Accessories department assistants, but I do know, from what I've seen since I have been here, is that Miranda does seem to have a soft spot for her."

Andrea nodded slowly as she took in Emily's words.

Both girls watched as Jocelyn came out of the office. Her heels clicking and and long copper hair cascading down her back in voluminous curls that would make anyone jealous. She turned on her heel and headed straight for them.

Jocelyn's piercing blue eyes stared at Emily, "There's been a change to Miranda's schedule, due to an incident in the accessories department I will require assistance from both of you this afternoon at the Central park shoot, Miranda will be attending as well. Emily I will send an email through soon with all the details, this is important so I don't want it messed up." She said in a tone that was friendly but also threatening and meant business.

Emily nodded, she knew the editors had their own problems to deal with and didn't like to be let down, "Of course, see you this afternoon Jocelyn." She said with a polite smile.

Jocelyn gave a curt nod and a quick glance at Andrea, "Great, see you then." She said as she turned on her heel again and disappeared through the doors towards the elevator.

Andy shook her head, "I'm guessing this is unusual? I didn't think Miranda doesn't normally attended these smaller ones." She asked slightly confused.

Emily shrugged, "I'm not her keeper, I don't know, but shes attending this one so get ready to learn." She said with a glint in her eye and a smirk in her voice.

* * *

 _A/N: Now I know some people may think Miranda is a little out of character in this chapter (and other chapters) but as the story progresses you will understand why. So is anyone willing to hazard a guess as to why Miranda is so fond of Jocelyn? Or still a bit too early? The next chapter will be the first flashback we see. Please keep the lovely reviews coming in, they make me write faster. :D_


	3. Blessing in Disguise

_A/N: Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews. I'm having fun writing this, in the past I have written multiple stories at once and then burnt myself out and got overwhelmed, so for the time being I shall only stick to this one story, though I do have a side story that I go to work on when I encounter a mind block (in other words it's a humorous story that centers around Runways employees and how they deal with Miranda's outrageous demands.) So I may post a bit of that possibly. But other than that I am so happy everyone is enjoying this so far. It is a slightly different premise but it's also kind of cool because there is so much I can do :) Anyway, on to the chapter._

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 **3- Blessing in Disguise**

 ** _July 1991_**

Miranda Priestly examined the location she was in very carefully. This was an important shoot, she couldn't afford to have even one thing go wrong today. She had been working her way up the ladder for far too long for this shoot to be her undoing.

So far everything seemed to be running smoothly. All the clothing and accessory racks had arrived safely and in tact, and nothing was missing, she was just becoming impatient because her model wasn't here yet.

Mischa LePage was a beautiful young French woman who had moved to America when she was eighteen. She had smooth alabaster skin and long Mahogany hair. Her green eyes stood out and she was highly sort after by many magazines. Unfortunately, like many models, she freelanced so was not always available.

Miranda was currently the Managing Editor for Runway and she knew she was next in line for the Editor in Chief role providing things ran smoothly and according to plan.

She heard footsteps behind her and spotted her close friend Nigel Kippling moving quickly towards her.

Nigel was currently the Fashion Editor. Miranda held nothing but respect for the man, he was excellent at his job and had a real flair for fashion, she knew when she became Editor-in-Chief she wanted him by her side.

Miranda looked at him concerned, "What's going on?" She asked unsure.

Nigel grimaced, "There's been a problem." He said chewing his lip nervously.

Miranda frowned, "What kind of problem?" She asked becoming worried, she couldn't afford any problems today.

Nigel sighed, "Mischa broke her leg this morning, we only just got word, she won't be here today." He said worriedly.

Miranda's eyes widened, she held concern for the twenty-two year old woman but she also knew that this shoot had to go ahead. "Do we have a back up?" She asked.

Nigel nodded, "She gave us the name of another freelance model she knows. She's a lot younger but apparently she has a gift, and she said we shouldn't judge her based on her age, she's on her way here now. I don't know what she looks like but Mischa said she was talented and should fill in nicely." He said mentally crossing his fingers for luck.

Miranda nodded, there wasn't a lot she could do, she just hoped Mischa was right. Mischa herself was young so how young this replacement would be baffled her slightly.

"Miranda Priestley?" Asked a soft female voice from behind the two editors.

Miranda and Nigel both spun around to face the person who spoke.

Miranda stared into the face of a tall slim woman, mentally she took note of her features.

Creamy white skin with a light dusting of freckles, long strawberry blonde hair that cascaded down her back in wispy waves and the most electric blue eyes Miranda had ever seen, she was immediately drawn to this woman. She was tall and slim, without heels Miranda placed her at about 5,7. She couldn't place her age, maybe seventeen?

"Yes, that's us." Miranda said once she finished her examination.

The woman smiled, "My name is Jocelyn Davies, Mischa recommended me to help you out today." She said smiling.

Miranda nodded inwardly, this girl was perfect, she would do just fine.

Nigel had also examined the girl and nodded his approval, "I think you will do just fine sweetie. How long have you been modelling for?" He asked.

Jocelyn bit her lip nervously, "A little less than a year, but Mischa took me under her wing and has taught me so much." She said.

Miranda nodded, the way the girl held herself was reminiscent of the French woman they had been using for the last few years, it was obvious she had been taught by her.

Miranda gave a rare smile at the young woman's enthusiasm. "Perfect, well let's get you ready." She said as she gently guided the woman towards the area they had closed off for the shoot.

The day progressed smoothly and Miranda found herself highly impressed by Jocelyn's affinity for modelling. She was a breath of fresh air and bought a nice slice of youth fullness to the shoot which Miranda hadn't realised they desperately needed.

Nudging Nigel she nodded her head in Jocelyn's direction.

Nigel looked at Miranda and followed her gaze, he gave a small nod.

The relationship between the two of them needed no words, they knew what the other was thinking just from their expressions.

Nigel tilted his head slightly as he watched the young red head pose for the camera, he was very impressed.

"She's a natural." He murmured to Miranda, eyes never leaving the tall woman.

Miranda nodded, "That's what I was thinking. There's something about her that just makes you unable to tear your eyes away from her. I'll talk to her after wards and see if she'd be interested in filling in for Mischa until she has recovered, I think she will work very well with some of the Winter shoots we have coming up." She said.

Nigel nodded in agreement, "Not to mention the Autumn shoots, she just seems to have the presence to draw people in, we can't let her go. How old is she though? I haven't found to much information on her." He said genuinely interested.

Miranda pursed her lips, "I'm not entirely sure, she looks about sixteen or seventeen, I don't think she's any older then that." She said curiously.

Nigel tapped his fingers on the side of his legs in thought and nodded, "That's what I was thinking. I might give Mischa a call and find out. If we want to keep her around we need to actually have some information on her." He said pulling out his phone.

Miranda gave a quick nod of approval and went back to watching Jocelyn in front of the camera.

After a few minutes Miranda felt a tap on her shoulder and she saw Nigel with a concerned look on his face.

Miranda never liked it when Nigel was nervous about something, she frowned, "What's the matter?" She asked worried.

Nigel bit his lip, "I just got off the phone to Mischa. She was a bit reluctant to tell me about Jocelyn but eventually I got her to confess." He trailed off still stalling.

Miranda was getting a bit miffed now at Nigel's inability to tell her about whatever information he had just learnt. "Well?" She asked.

Nigel sighed, "It seems she's only fourteen." He mumbled quietly.

Miranda felt her eyes widen on their own in surprise, "What?" She asked shocked.

Nigel nodded, "You heard me right. She's only fourteen." He said.

Miranda frowned as her eyes flicked back to the tall young woman, " _no girl"_ , her brain corrected her mentally. It was hard to believe.

Miranda looked back at Nigel, "Why isn't she in school?" She asked now concerned. She didn't have children herself but the urge was there, and she couldn't understand why a fourteen year old was modelling in Central Park instead of being at school.

Nigel folded his arms across his chest, "Well that brings me to the next point. Mischa confessed that Jocelyn actually lives with her. It seems Jocelyn is a foster child, she has been bounced between a few homes before she ran away. Mischa said she found her hiding in the toilets of a bar one night when the police came to do I.D checks. After that she applied to look after Jocelyn. She didn't say much more then that. She said if we needed to get permission to use Jocelyn then we only need to ask her." He said.

Miranda felt her heart tear a little bit at the story Nigel had just relayed to her. She couldn't imagine this young girl living on the streets all alone, she felt herself drawn to her even more. Turning back to Nigel she had a determined look in her eyes, "She's not going anywhere. We're keeping her nearby one way or another." She said.

Nigel nodded not expecting anything less, "Of course, Mischa already said she's happy for us to use Jocelyn as long as we need her."

Miranda smiled gratefully as she went back to watching the red head finish up the shoot.

Miranda was impressed by the girls confidence, she just knew that she was special, and Miranda had every intention on making sure the girl knew it.

* * *

 _And there we go, Chapter 3, and the first of the flashbacks. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about ages or timelines etc. I have the whole timeline already planned out so that it flows. I'm a bit OCD like that haha. Let me know what you think :)_


	4. Mum's the Word

_Hey guys, here's the next chapter. I'm a little busy for the next few days so I figured I'd post this one now. Hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

 **4- Mum's the Word**

 _ **Present**_

The shoot went rather smoothly and Andy and Emily joined back with Miranda who was talking to Serena. Suddenly the sound of footsteps running towards them carried through the park.

Two bundles of red hair barreled into Miranda, "Mummy!" They both exclaimed in unison.

Miranda managed to not be startled at the intrusion as Andy and Emily watched on. The girls were mostly shielded from the public eye and so none of the employees had hardly ever seen them.

A blonde woman, the twin's baby-sitter, Cara, approached Miranda, "I am so sorry, I didn't realise you would be here. The girls wanted to watch the shoot, normally you aren't at these smaller ones." She said worriedly.

Miranda shook her head to try and reassure the woman that it was okay, "That's alright, it was a last minute decision. Hey girls." She said bending down to give the identical twins a hug each.

"Well that went smoothly all things considered." Announced Jocelyn as she walked back towards the group.

Her voice made the two young girls heads snap up, "Jocelyn!" They both yelled and Miranda scolded them gently for yelling. The two girls took off and nearly knocked the tall ex model over in her four inch heels.

Jocelyn looked down just in time to catch herself as the two red-heads collided with her, "Caroline, Cassidy, what are you doing here?" She asked with a smile as she returned their hug.

"We wanted to check the shoot out, we didn't know Mummy would be here though, we were hoping you would be though, we miss you." Said the twin with her hair pulled into a half ponytail.

Jocelyn chuckled, "Oh Cassidy, I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately, I've been really busy," She then lent down and brought the two girls closer and whispered to them as if they were conspiring, "But how about I come over for dinner tonight?" She said giving them a wink and the girls both nodded enthusiastically. "Good, and then we can play okay?" Jocelyn said letting them go.

The other twin, Caroline grinned before they both ran back to Miranda happily, "Jocelyn's coming over tonight Mummy, can we play dress up?" Caroline asked, her shoulder length hair blowing in her face.

Miranda motioned for everyone else to leave them alone and they got the hint just leaving Miranda, the twins and Jocelyn standing off to the side. "Yes of course, as longas it's okay with Jocelyn." She said giving a small smile towards Jocelyn who nodded.

Cassidy bounced on the balls of her feet, "Can we come back to the office with you and Jocelyn?" She asked with big pleading eyes.

Miranda frowned at the twins, "Girls, I don't know if that's a good idea, I still have a lot to do today." She said.

Caroline pouted, "Can we stay with Jocelyn then, please? We won't bug her, we promise, we just want to hang out with her." She begged pouting.

Miranda looked at Jocelyn who shrugged her shoulders and gave a small smile, trying not to chuckle out loud at their attempts to persuade their mother. Miranda sighed giving in, "Okay, but if I hear you get in the way of Jocelyn working she won't come over tonight okay." She said giving into their demands.

The girls nodded and bounced back over to Jocelyn excitedly, "We're staying with you this afternoon, we can help you, we are very helpful." Cassidy grinned happily.

Jocelyn chuckled, "Of course you can, you can be my assistants, how does that sound?" She asked in mock seriousness.

Caroline grinned,"Yes! We can help, we will be the best assistants ever!" She exclaimed.

Miranda gave a small smile trying to keep her face neutral, but there was no denying that the two girls adored Jocelyn, and it made her happy to see both so happy, as well as Jocelyn.

"Well Jocelyn, I'm going to head back to the office with Andrea and Emily, I trust you'll get the rest of this all sorted?" She asked motioning to the pack up that was currently happening.

Jocelyn nodded affirmatively, "Of course, these two won't get away with doing nothing." She said with a small smirk.

Miranda smiled, "Wonderful, I'll see you later girls, behave." She said with a stern glance at the twins.

The girls nodded in sync and Miranda stopped her self from rolling her eyes as she motioned for Emily and Andy to come back over. "Get my car back here." She said in her work voice.

Emily nodded and pulled out her phone.

The small trio then walked off leaving Jocelyn with the twins and Nigel who had made his way over during their little exchange.

"Uncle Nigel!" Cassidy exclaimed with enthusiasm as she ran to the man and gave him a hug.

Nigel bent down and returned the hug, "Well hello Cassidy dear, Caroline." He said giving a smile to the girls.

"We're staying with Jocelyn this afternoon cos Mummy is busy. Are you gonna be around this afternoon as well?" Caroline asked coming over with Jocelyn in tow.

Nigel nodded, "Yes, I'll be helping Jocelyn this afternoon, are one of you going to be my assistant? or are both of you going to help Jocelyn?" He asked with a wink at Jocelyn.

Jocelyn watched as the two girls played paper scissors rock to decide who stayed with Nigel and who stayed with Jocelyn.

"I'm with Jocelyn!" Exclaimed Cassidy as she ducked back to Jocelyn's side.

Nigel laughed, "Well Caroline, I guess that means its you and I? How about we start by gathering up all the pieces of clothing the models have left?" He asked.

Caroline nodded, "What are you doing Jocelyn?" She asked curiously.

Jocelyn smiled, "Cassidy and I will be getting all the accessories packed away. Make sure you put everything in the right boxes remember." She said with a smile.

The girls nodded.

Nigel smiled at Jocelyn as the girls started wondering towards the pile of plastic boxes which had started to fill up with various items.

"Don't they remind you of someone?" He asked with a small smirk.

Jocelyn rolled her eyes, "I know, I think the same thing all the time." She chuckled as she watched the twins run off telling each other what to do.

Nigel smirked as he watched the two young girls closely, "They'll be trouble when they're older." He said with a small chuckle.

Jocelyn groaned in agreement, "That's what I'm worried about. I wouldn't want to be Miranda when they hit their teen years." She muttered with a small laugh as her and Nigel headed down the pathway towards the twins.

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 _And that's chapter 4 done and dusted. Hope you are still enjoying the story :)_


	5. Out of the Blue

_Hi everyone, hope you are still enjoying the story. Thank you to all the lovely people who reviewed, don't worry I'm not going to forget about this story. I was trying to decide whether to post this next chapter now (which was the original plan) or put it in a few chapters from now, obviously I've gone with the former so I hope you like it. And don't forget to leave me a review letting me know if you like it :)_

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 **5- Out of the Blue**

 _ **April 1995**_

Jocelyn groaned in pain as she hauled her aching body out of her bed and towards her bathroom.

Her apartment was a tiny studio in downtown Manhattan. It was run down and not exactly the prettiest thing in the world but it was better then her other options.

The size meant making it to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach, yet again, was significantly easier.

Hunching herself over the porcelain toilet bowl for the third time since three that morning she sobbed as her body was wracked with violent heaving. She hadn't been able to eat anything and therefore had nothing to dispose of.

Sobbing loudly as she laid her head on the toilet bowl she knew she had to get up. She was expected to be at work, but she honestly had no idea how she was going to achieve that in her current state.

Jocelyn prided herself on never calling in sick but she realised there was always a first time for everything. And to make matters worse she had to call Miranda herself, that was a conversation she didn't want to have.

Placing her hands either side of the toilet seat she slowly pushed herself up to her feet and groaned as her legs were overcome with pins and needles from kneeling.

Glancing at her clock it was a little past seven in the morning. She should of been at the office half an hour ago.

Moaning softly she closed her eyes in an attempt to stop her head from spinning violently.

She jumped as the sound of her phone rang out through the apartment. Stumbling blindly towards her kitchen table she picked up the black Nokia mobile phone that she referred to as a brick. Hitting the answer button she was unable to speak as she felt her stomach start to turn again.

 _"Jocelyn where are you?"_ Came Miranda's voice over the phone.

Jocelyn's stomach twisted violently, somewhat in fear but mostly due to whatever ailment she was currently suffering from. She put her hand to her mouth and ran for the bathroom again, her phone still in her spare hand.

 _"Jocelyn are you there?"_ Came Miranda's voice again, this time a little louder.

At this point Jocelyn had forgotten entirely about Miranda being on the phone and was focused entirely on not passing out as she again emptied her somach, which was already emptied.

 _"Jocelyn are you okay? What's going on?"_ Came Miranda's voice again, this time laced with concern.

Jocelyn sobbed as she flushed the toilet and then remembered her phone and who was on the other end and she let out a painful sob as she picked the phone back up with shaking hands.

"Miranda? I'm so sorry. I can't come in today. I'm really sick." She said as she tried to hide the emotion in her voice but failed miserably.

 _"I can tell, it's okay, take the day off. Do you need anything?"_ Miranda asked concerned for her young protege.

Jocelyn quietened down her sobs, "No, no, I'm fine, I'll be fine. I think I just need to sleep it off." She said trying to convince not only Miranda but also herself.

 _"Okay, but don't hesitate to call me if you need something, I can get a town car there quickly for any reason okay."_ Miranda said still with worry in her voice.

Jocelyn smiled to herself, "Thanks Miranda, I'll be okay, but thank you for the offer. I've gotta go and have a shower, I'll let you know how I am tonight." She said.

" _Okay Jocelyn, I'll hold you to that. Have a good sleep._ " Miranda said still concerned but hung up.

Jocelyn let out a sigh of relief as she hung up with Miranda, at least that was the main thing out of the way. Now she could focus on herself and trying to work out how she'd gotten so sick so quickly. She had been fine yesterday, and all she had for dinner the night before was some sushi and a glass of wine, things that never normally affected her.

Moving to her shower she turned the water on hot and stared at it for a while unfocused.

Shaking her head to clear her thought she got into the shower and sat on the floor letting the scolding water run over her entire body.

her mind was fuzzy from lack of sleep but she needed to work out what was wrong with her. She hated going to the Doctors and left that as the very last item on her list.

As she mentally went through what could be wrong with her she froze as one option came to the front of her mind and she started to panic.

Scrambling to stand up and turn the running water off Jocelyn reached for the nearby towel to dry herself with.

She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it earlier. But the thought of it now scared the hell out of her, and if it was true, what would she do?

 _ **Two weeks later**_

Miranda walked into the office, not seeing either of her assistant's at their desks, she had seen Louise, the second assistant on her way up so Jocelyn should have been around somewhere. She'd been under immense stress lately, her husband was becoming distant, she had seen his longing for children and she couldn't provide it. They had begun discussing other options and it was draining her. She didn't need to be worrying about her assistant's doing their job properly.

Miranda turned into her office and then heard it, the unmistakable sounds of someone being sick, in her personal rest room. Unimpressed she pushed open the door which had been left unlocked and her anger fell to concern when she saw none other then Jocelyn hunched over the toilet emptying her stomach violently.

Miranda knew being a model the girl had taken part in some unhealthy habits to keep her weight low in the past but she didn't think that she would still do it. "Jocelyn? Are you okay?" She asked gently as she moved to the young woman and pulled her long curly hair back from her face.

Jocelyn turned to face Miranda with fear in her eyes, and Miranda knew it wasn't fear from being sick in her bosses office, this was something deeper, and that was when Miranda truly realised just how young the girl was. She was eighteen, she was a teenager, she should have still been in school.

Jocelyn tried to get up but slipped when her heel caught on the groove in the tiles. She fell back to the floor and sobbed. Miranda shut the door behind her for privacy and pulled the red head into her arms.

"Jocelyn, what's going on?" She asked with sympathy that she only reserved for people important to her.

She had been drawn to Jocelyn the first time she'd seen her at fourteen years old. The girl was tall and naturally beautiful. She had always appeared older then she was, Miranda had no idea that she was only fourteen the first time she saw her, she had looked at least eighteen. As the years had passed and they worked together a bit more Miranda had felt protective over the younger woman.

She could still remember the first time she met Jocelyn and how she had been drawn to her immediately, and when the truth about her family life was revealed she had felt a wave of protectiveness wash over her. Mischa had returned to France when Jocelyn turned eighteen, not because she didn't want to be responsible for her any longer but because Jocelyn had told her to take the job she had been offered back in Paris. Miranda knew that Mischa had been Jocelyn's only family which is why she had promised Mischa she would look out for her in her absence.

Smiling at the memory Miranda drew her attention back to the woman who she had started to consider family.

Jocelyn's crystal blue eyes shone with tears as she stared hopelessly at Miranda, "I don't know what to do." She murmured quietly, in such a small voice Miranda didn't even think she heard her.

Miranda had never seen this side of Jocelyn before and it scared her, "What can't you do?" She asked hoping that it wasn't the job because honestly, Jocelyn had been amazing and had picked it up with ease, she had a natural affinity for fashion and a determination and strong work ethic that was second to none.

Jocelyn buried her head in Miranda's shoulder.

It was true, in the past Miranda and Jocelyn had often spent time with each other outside of working and had gotten to know one another on a more personal level, that was the only reason she felt comfortable crying into Miranda's expensive couture.

Miranda's heart was breaking at the sight, she knew whatever it was it was big. Jocelyn had an amazing talent of keeping her emotions in check and her feelings hidden, but seeing her so devastated and raw was distressing.

Finally Jocelyn's blue eyes, which had been what drew Miranda to her in the beginning, finally looked back up at her.

"I'm pregnant." She whispered before dissolving into a fresh wave of tears.

Miranda froze at the words, _pregnant_ , her eighteen year old assistant was pregnant.

Miranda felt a maternal urge wash over her to hunt down whoever had done this to the girl. This time it was Miranda who pulled Jocelyn in for a hug. She ran her hand through the tousled red hair and spoke gently to her, "Don't worry, we'll work something out." She murmured as Jocelyn weakly nodded her head.

Miranda remembered back a couple of weeks earlier when Jocelyn had called in sick, it was all finally making sense.

Rubbing Jocelyn's back gently she sighed, they would get through this, she was not going to leave Jocelyn on her own.

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 _And there we have it! Hope you all enjoyed that chapter. It's one of the longer ones of the story. Originally it was going to be two separate parts but I decided to not drag it out and put them both together :) Remember, let me know what you think! Thanks guys!_


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